1865-1920 summary Essays - The United States,

Andrey Ryabchenko HIS 5900, Professor Robert Tester 1865 - 1920 Summary After Proclamation of Emancipation, as a result of the end of the civil war in 1865, all former slaves were given a freedom from forced labor. Although slaves were free, their new freedom was not entirely defined as by the government as well as by former slaves themselves. While radical republicans emphasized the ideology of free labor, which constitutes for the total y equal opportunities of blacks against whites and the right of vote, moderate republicans thought that free labor ideology would stand as betrayal of white americans . Moderate republicans tried to push limitations, such as inequality before law, disenfranchisement of former slaves, and their segregation. Andrew Johnson, the first president after 1865, seemed to support moderate republicans and as a result of that former slaves suffere d inequality and poor quality of life. Suffrage of former slaves seemed to decrease after release of Civil Rights Bill that identified blacks that were born in US as full citizens of the country. Civil rights bill were further supported by Fourteenth Amendment that granted all citizens of US equal privileges and immunities no matter of race. In February 1869 Fifteenth Amendment was released. It prohibited federal and state governments to disenfranchise any person no matter of race. Although former slaves had been given the rights to vote, woman of US still could not vote on elections. Reconstruction followed by Industrial revolution and "Gilded Age". In the late seventies US starter to rapidly progress industrially. Major intercontinental railroads were established along with many other types of production such as oil, iron, sugar, liquor and textile. American society turned from agricultural to industrial at it's major part. Major cities experienced an influx of people from all around the country . Those newcomers were looking for job opportunities mostly on factories. Cities were not prepared to face such over population and as a result people suffered from lack of living space, preventable diseases and general unsanitary conditions. In " Gilded Age" major industrial sectors seemed to be controlled by few tycoons, so called Robber Barons, that ruled the industries and received enormous profits exploiting their laborers when it comes to working conditions and level of pay. Such Barons were always opposers of labor unions and often made a deals with government to advance their power. But among them were also a smart entrepreneurs and generous philanthropists such as Andrew Carnegie with his US Steel Corporation that revolutionized production of iron products in US and accounted for 40% of the metal produced in the country. After he sold his company he contributed his capital on the needs of America and poor. Andrew Carnegie was one of the financial supporters of Tuskegee Institute, dedicated to education of former slaves. Vast income inequality and poor living conditions of the laborers resulted of many strikes that supported formation of labor unions. Honest journalists of those times , so called " Mucrackers " , together with labor unions fought corruption and inequality during industrial revolution. In 1893, America experienced major economic depression of those times when a lot of people left unemployed. In some states, unemployment rate rose to 50 percent. Panic lasted around four years and left lower and even middle-class Americans fed up with political corruption and social inequality. Their frustration gave rise to the Progressive Movement which took hold when Theodor Roosevelt took office in 1901. Although, Roosevelt supported corporate America he also felt there should be regulations and limitations to what businesses can and can't do. Helped by the " muckrackers " and White House , the Progressive Era began in many reforms that helped shift away power from robber barons . Those reforms were labor reform, formation of labor unions, increased conservation , fair labor standards, woman's suffrage, birth control, tax reform, civil rights and few more. By 1916 cities were cleaner, people were healthier, quality of life as well as quality of working environment increased. Fewer monopolies meant that more people could pursue American dream. When America entered WWI in 1917, Progressive Era ended and country remained focused on realities of war.